I have noted this before (Destiny)

by cheapLEY , Friday, April 27, 2018, 16:20 (2479 days ago) @ Cody Miller

NPCs in levels, doing stuff and interacting. Why we only got this on the first level in D2, and never again, boggles my mind.

We didn’t even get it on the first level. All the NPC stuff was scripted. They weren’t acting as AI companions responding dynamically.

It being scripted doesn't mean it's not there, or not real. I think that's fine, we just need a lot more of it. Making good AI for friendly Guardians and having it feel right and satisfying is probably a huge challenge, and those resources are probably better spent elsewhere.

I don't mind stuff like that being scripted, as long as it feels good. I'm not sure that the stuff in the opening level does feel good. You're completely safe from those missiles as long as you are more than like fifteen feet from Zavala. They are all aimed exclusively at this bubble. You can't damage the Cabal that Cayde-6 or Ikora take out. That sort of sucks and makes me keenly aware I'm playing a scripted sequence, but I think it's ultimately fine, as it at least gives the impression that those characters are there with us, fighting, defending the City, and it's better than the alternative of them not being there at all.

We need more of that, though. When we land on Titan, why don't we see Zavala from a distance, fighting on another platform. You could have built Cayde into that boss fight somehow. Maybe do something to momentarily free Cayde and let him fire off a few Golden Gun shots at the boss. Scripted sequences can be good and immersive, and help make the world feel alive. The stuff in the opening level sure did, at least on the first playthrough.

And honestly, I still think they need to give the vendors different routines, make them patrol the Tower. I understand that's inconvenient, but it's not there aren't map markers. Having the Tower be exactly the same with everyone just standing in the exact same spot is perhaps the biggest immersion breaker in the entire game. It makes the entire world feel fake for me.